A flying automotive vehicle (also known as a flying car) is a hybrid vehicle that combines the flying capability of an aircraft with the option of being driven as an automobile on the ground. A flying automotive vehicle is capable of providing door-to-door aerial transportation, such as from home to work or to the supermarket, as conveniently as a car, but without the requirement for roads, runways or other specially-prepared operating areas.
Flying automotive vehicles may include wings that provide aerodynamic lift for flying. Although a body of the vehicle may also provide some aerodynamic lift, typically a majority of the lift is provided by the wings. Wings large enough for flying, however, may hinder operation of the vehicle as a car. To overcome this limitation, some proposed designs include stowable wings that may be extended for flying, but which may be moved to a more compact stowed position to enable the vehicle to navigate city traffic in between landings and take-offs. Unfortunately, the additional mechanism required to move the wings between the extended and stowed position may add significant cost, weight and complexity to the vehicle.